Orval Faubus

Orval Eugene Faubus (7 January 1910–14 December 1994) was a six-term Democratic Governor of Arkansas, famous for his 1957 stand against integration of Little Rock, Arkansas schools in defiance of U.S. Supreme Court rulings.

Early political career

Faubus's first political run was in 1936 when he ran for a seat in the Arkansas General Assembly. Faubus came in second in that contest. He was urged to challenge the result but wisely declined. This earned him the gratitude of the Democratic Party and led to him winning two terms as circuit clerk and recorder.

Related Topics:
1936 - Arkansas General Assembly - Democratic Party

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When the United States entered World War II Faubus joined the United States Army and served as an intelligence officer with George S. Patton's Third Army. During this service Faubus was involved in combat several times.

Related Topics:
World War II - United States Army - George S. Patton - Third Army

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When Faubus returned from the war he cultivated ties with leaders of Arkansas' Democratic Party, particulalry with progressive reform Governor Sid McMath, leader of the post-war "GI Revolt" against corruption, whom he served as director of the state's highway commission. When Francis Cherry, who had defeated McMath in 1952 in the latter's third term re-election bid, became widely unpopular, Faubus challenged him in the 1954 primary.

Related Topics:
Sid McMath - Francis Cherry - 1952 - 1954

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The 1954 election cycle was a bitter one and Faubus was forced to defend his attendance at a defunct northwest Arkansas school known as Commonwealth College as well as his early political upbringing. Commonwealth College had been formed as a left-leaning college by academic and social activists, some of whom later were revealed to have had close ties with the American Communist Party. Most of those who attended and taught there, however, were simply idealistic young people seeking an education or, in the case of the faculty, a job which came with full room and board. During the run-off, Cherry and his surrogates accused Faubus of attending a "communist" school and implied that his sympathies remained leftist. Faubus at first denied attending, then admitted enrolling "for only a few weeks." Later, however, it was disclosed that he had remained at the school for more than a year, during which he was elected president of the student body. Faubus actually led a group of students who testified on behalf of the college's accredidation before the state legislature. Nevertheless, efforts to paint the candidate as a communist sympathizer backfired in a climate of growing resentment against such allegations and Faubus defeated Cherry to win his first term as Governor.

Related Topics:
Commonwealth College - Communist

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The political attacks of the 1954 election, though unsuccessful, do seem to have made Faubus very sensitive to attacks from the right. It has been suggested that this sensitivity contributed to his later stance against integration when attacked by segregationist elements of his party.

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